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Many parents are overly concerned about comparing the child’s reading skills to other kids the same age. While reading skills benefit most areas of life, many children show aptitudes in other areas of reading besides just memorizing the words.

Reading skill levels are based on classroom averages. It makes it easier for the schools to teach by having children grouped by overall reading skills, but this comparison doesn’t accurately depict how well the child retains what they are reading.

Some kid’s do well reading out loud to their parents or in front of the classroom. Their sentences flow and they seldom struggle with the words. But, when they reach the end of the page or the story, they have no idea what they just read.

Others struggle when they read aloud. It could be shyness or lack of confidence. But, this same child might be able to recap the entire story he has read silently.

The age when children are ready to read also happens at different stages of childhood. Those parents who have more than one child know that while one of the kids is always ready to snuggle in for a reading session, the other child may be more interested in dancing after rainbows.

The main focus should be on making reading as rewarding as possible for each child. Learn about the different tools that can be used by the child learning to read. If a word seems to be giving the child problems, it’s okay to help them out if the word seems unusually difficult. Just don’t get in the habit of providing the answer before the child has had a chance to discover the answer for himself.

If the child has a hard time recognizing the word by sounding it out, suggest other tips that will help him increase his reading ability.

Encourage the child to look for a hint to the word in the illustration on the page. It’s not cheating; it’s a tool the child can use to solve a problem.

Encourage the child to skip over the word and continue reading to the end of the sentence or paragraph. This gives the child a sense of what the word might be when he comes back to it to work it out.

A child often feels that they are only capable of reading school materials. Once they realize that they can read the back of the cereal box, their whole world can open up as they push boundaries to read more exciting things. Speak with the teacher or librarian about books that might interest your child.

Getting your baby to sleep isn’t always easy, and just like your baby, your sleep is a precious commodity. You don’t have a partner to take the red-eye shift when you’ve gone without sleep for too many days in a row. Because of this, getting your baby to sleep through the night becomes an overwhelming need, not just something you are working on. Here are some methods other moms have used. Choose the one that best fits your parenting style and your baby’s personality, and soon you will be snoozing again.

First, you need to have realistic expectations. No matter what your friend’s baby did, a newborn is not supposed to sleep 12 hours at night. According to Mayo Clinic, by three months babies should sleep about five hours at a time during the night. By six months, they are capable of sleeping 12 hours.

Cry It Out

The Cry It Out method is one of the oldest in the books. According to this method, you learn when your baby needs to eat in the first few weeks, and get your baby on a fairly good schedule. When your baby wakes during the night, feed and diaper him, if needed, then place him in his crib awake. He will fuss, but you need to leave the room and let him fuss. This will quickly teach him to put himself to sleep, and soon he will stop waking to eat unless he is truly hungry.

Co-Sleeping

Sometimes, co-sleeping safely can help getting your baby to sleep. This will also help you get more sleep. To co-sleep safely, purchase a bassinet that attaches to your bed. You will be within arms length of your baby to shush him back to sleep if he wakes and he will be able to see you when he needs comfort.

Maximizing Playtime

During the day, you need to avoid the temptation to lay baby down for too many naps. Babies do need a lot of daytime sleep, but you need to make the most of awake times. Play with your baby, stimulate her with activity in the home, and keep her near the light when it is daytime to encourage her to fall into a regular sleep pattern.

No-Cry Method

The no-cry method of helping your baby sleep through the night involves placing your baby to bed when she is awake but drowsy. Unlike the cry it out method, you will still comfort her when she cries. However, you will avoid rocking her to sleep, and if possible, avoid picking her up. This makes her dependent on you to fall asleep. Instead, get her drowsy, but put her to bed awake. If she cries, do what you can to comfort her, picking her up if you need to, but always insist on putting her to bed awake. Soon you will be able to lay her down without a fight.

Each of these tips will help you when you are getting your baby to sleep. There are many other parenting tips you can try to help you as you raise your family.

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